Battelle Shares Expertise on the Front Lines in the Fight Against
Ebola in Africa

March 04, 2019 09:35 AM Eastern Standard Time

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While Ebola might not be in the news at the level it was in 2014, it is
still a significant health issue in Africa. In fact, the second
deadliest Ebola
outbreak in history is actively ongoing in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo now.

During the trip, they provided training at the Institut National de
Recherche Biomédicale in Kinshasa, the nation’s capital. Battelle staff
taught Congolese researchers how to conduct serologic assays to detect
immune response to Ebola virus in vaccinated and exposed individuals, as
well as disease survivors.

The team also led trainings for local response workers who may deploy to
multiple field laboratories near the outbreak on the eastern side of the
country, close to the Ugandan border. These trainings covered use of
containment laboratory personal protective equipment and mobile
containment units for laboratory support of the first ever randomized
controlled trial to evaluate medical countermeasures in the treatment of
Ebola virus disease.

While this trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo adds a new
country to Battelle’s portfolio of experience, providing on-site support
in Africa has been a part of Battelle’s work for several years. The 10
Battelle employees on the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF)
response team regularly deploy for up to a month at a time to various
countries, including Liberia, Guinea, Mali and Angola.

In each of these countries, they provide a suite of trainings to local
African staff on how to respond to outbreak scenarios. The training
gives participants the opportunity to practice with instruments and
procedures they’ll use in an outbreak setting, building capacity locally.

This work has been effective in preparing and equipping local staff in
these countries to take on greater responsibilities during their own
health response activities. Since their first deployments during the
West African Ebola virus disease outbreak, the team has continuously
supported National Institutes of Health’s Partnership for Research on
Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL) clinical trials and the establishment
of a research laboratory in Liberia.

Battelle employees have trained Liberian staff in all aspects of running
a research laboratory, with emphasis on safety practices. Liberians and
Americans have worked together to conduct laboratory testing evaluating
the efficacy of Ebola virus vaccines and monitoring survivors of Ebola
virus disease and their close contacts. Local staff are now responsible
for operating many aspects of the laboratory independently.

When the Battelle team is in the United States, they continue to fight
Ebola from the IRF at Fort Detrick in Maryland. Conducting research in
the IRF’s Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory, the team develops field
laboratory diagnostics for high consequence pathogens, in preparation
for future disease outbreaks. Working alongside fellow IRF researchers
who conduct studies to characterize pathogens and evaluate
countermeasures, the team is able to meet real-world clinical needs.

About Battelle

Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to
solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national
laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and
development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical
services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in
Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national
security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental
industries. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.